Curbside organic pick up will be coming soon to a curb near you.

In 2012, Cochrane adopted a zero waste framework and next spring we will move one step closer to achieving this.

Fabrizio Bertolo, Town of Cochrane, Waste and Recycling Manager, says the goal is to divert 80% of landfill waste by 2020.

"It's going to be done through organics diversion, multi family diversion both for organics and recyclable, and then we will also look at the commercial/ICI sector (institutional, commercial, industrial).

While the main push of implementing the organics program is coming from Calgary, Bertolo comments that organic diversion is a good thing.

"Currently we are sending half of our waste to the landfill while we could turn it into compost."

With the organics program on track for April 2017,  the department is looking for facilities that will accept our organic waste. Bertolo shares that there are a couple of key things the team is researching.

"We are trying to get the best deal out of it both on the cost side and on the range of material they will accept."

Bertolo says he is looking for community feedback so that they can determine what is the best fit for community residents.

"I believe the best thing we can do is talk to people and understand what they need and what they are expecting out of the program."

The main concern about the organics program does not seem to be about implementation, but where and how people will store another bin; whether curbside or in their garage. Bertolo adds, for some (townhouses) a small cart may suffice, but when residents find out that the program accepts yard waste we will need more bin to accommodate. When referring to size, a small organics cart would be the same as the 120L black bin we have now, in comparison to our 240L blue bin.

"We need to understand how much organic waste we are going to generate. Because mostly people don't think the organics program is going to be used for clippings and leaves, when I tell them this they do realize they that they need a big cart."

Another concern Bertolo has heard about from residents is the smell and how much it is going to stink.

"If you are going to collect organics it is going to stink, and this is easy to answer. We already collect the organic waste, it's just that it's going in the black bin. So next year it's just going to sort in another bin."

And lastly, cost. Residents don't want to see a $6 increase to monthly bills like our neighbour to the east is discussing.

"The goal of the town is trying to not increase the bill. I am not saying that we are going to be able to do that but we are working in this direction but of course this will depend on our contract to our organics facility and the cost of the carts."

Bertolo wants feedback from residents on what types of organics residents would like to see diverted such as: meat, bones, pizza boxes, and pet waste. At this time the plan remains to pick up waste weekly at least for the first year of implementation.

If you have thoughts on what the organic program should include you can email Bertolo at fabrizio.bertolo@cochrane.ca